Bobbin holder



QEMLNBQ. v MAMANN v Y 29345362 BOBBIN HOLDER 'Filed March 51, 1936 2 sheets-.Sheet l 1N VEN TOR.

J. V. MANN BOBBIN HOLDER Filed March '51., 193e 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOBBIN HOLDER tion of New York Application March 31, 1936, Serial No. 71,935

4 Claims.

The present invention relates toa bobbin ho-lder and more particularly to an anti-friction bobbin holder for spinning or roving frames or the like.

In the construction of bobbin holders for satisfactory commercial service, it is necessary to pro vide a device which is not only adequate as to mechanical strength, but is properly designed to avoid accumulation of dust and lint therein, and adapted to maintain a substantially constant frictional drag over long periods of use. It is also desirable, since various sizes of bobbins are frequently used interchangeably on the same machines, that the holder be adapted to accommodate more than one size of bobbin. Moreover, since the holders are intended to replace the old style wooden skewers, it is necessary for the holder to be cheap and easy to install in order to enhance the desirability of such changeover.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel anti-friction bobbin holder which is ecient and durable in operation and simple and economical in construction.

It is another object to provide such a device which is arranged to prevent the accumulation of dust or lint therein.

It is a further object to provide such a. device which may be readily cleaned as by means of an air blast if it should become necessary.

It is another object to provide such a device which is easily installed from beneath the creel board of the spinning frame or the like without special tools.

It is another object to provide such a device which is arranged to properly accommodate a plurality of sizes of bobbins.

It is a further object to provide such a device in which the bobbin is supported close under the creel board so as to permit installation with unusually low creel boards.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l shows one preferred embodiment of the invention substantially in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail oi the supporting spring member illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a reduced scale of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, the holder having been rotated through an angle of degrees; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the centering and controlling element for the spring support.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated at I a fragment of a creel board of a spinning or roving frame or the like from which the bobbin holder embodying the present invention is supported. As here illustrated, the bobbin holder comprises means for gripping and supporting a bobbin such as indicated at 2, said means comprising a cylindrical shell or body 3 10 and an expansive U-shaped spring 4 mounted therein and having curved terminal projecting portions 5 adapted to protrude through openings 6 adjacent the lower end of the body of the holder. 0

The holder body 3 is here illustrated as comprising a lower cylindrical portion 'I and an upper cylindrical portion B of larger diameter, said portions being connected by a tapered section 9. The portion I oi the body is of such diameter as 20 to loosely fit within the bore of a selected size of standard bobbin 2, and is of such length between the apertures and the tapered section 9 that the projections 5 of the spring project into the counterbored portion of the bobbin and bear upon the inclined shoulders II thereof, thus causing the bobbin to be gripped between the projections 5 of the spring and the tapered section 9 of the body.

The upper portion 8 of the body is of such 30 external diameter as to loosely fit within the aperture of a larger standard size of bobbin indicated in phantom view at 2', and is of such length as to permit the projections 5 of the spring to en gage the inclined shoulders II formed by the 35 counterbore in the bobbin 2', while providing adequate clearance between the top of the bobbin 2 and the creel board for a universal bearing support.

According to the present invention, a bearing support for the body is provided in the form of a cone bearing race I2 having a spherical external surface and an extruded neck portion I3 adapted to telescope with the upper end of the body 3 of the holder and to be immovably fixed thereto as by means of a ared shoulder I4 which is expanded against an inclined shoulder I5 of the body 3.

A bearing cup I6 is arranged to surround said cone and hold a series of anti-friction bearings I1 in position to engage and support the spherical surface of the cone I2. A cover I8 is suitably fixed to the bearing cup I6 as by means of a flange I9 on the cup spun over the edge of the cover I8. The cover is preferably oiiset as shown at 2l 55 in order to provide a smooth` flat upper surface. A threaded opening 22 is provided in the cover I 8 adapted to receive a bolt 23 mounted in an opening 24 in the creel board I. The bolt 23 is preferably provided with a squared section 25 adjacent the head thereof to prevent its rotation in the creel board, whereby manual rotation of the bearing cup I6 will cause it to be tightly clamped by the bolt against the underside of the creel board I.

In the installation of this device, it is merely necessary to drop a bolt 23 into the opening 24 of the creel board, preferably tapping the bolt to seat it in said opening, and then apply the bearing cup I6 and twist it into rrn engagement with the underside of the creel board. The engagement of the flat upper surface of the cover I8 with the creel board insures a rigid support for the bearing cup and the dependent bobbin holder.

In the operation of the device, it is merely necessary to thrust a bobbin on the lower end of the body 3 of the bobbin holder, whereupon if the bobbin is of the smaller size, it will compress the projections 5 of the spring 4 and slide up the body 3 until it engages the inclined portion 9 of the body. The projections 5 of the spring 4 thereupon expand and grip the bobbin whereupon it is pendulously supported by the ball bearings I1 with provision for universal movement due to the spherical contour of the bearing cone I2.

It will be noted that the bearing cup I6 is provided with a flange or lip 26 which closely surrounds and conforms to the spherical surface of the cone I2. This arrangement provides an effective seal to prevent lint and dust from entering the bearing, particularly since the slight clearance between the ball race and cone is below the bearing, and it is necessary, therefore, for the dust and lint to drift upward through the clearance space in order to enter the bearing.

Attention is also called t the fact that the body 3 of the bobbin holder is completely open from end to end, whereby if any dust or lint does nd its way up past the lip 26 into the bearing, it may readily be dislodged and blown out by a blast of air from the usual air cleaning apparatus for the creel board, the blast of air being permitted to traverse the bearing and emerge from the bottom of the bobbin holder.

It will be understood that the bobbin can be removed from the holder by merely drawing it off against the resistance of the gripping spring 4, this spring being arranged to have suflicient strength to yieldingly retain the bobbin on the holder and prevent accidental removal thereof.

If a larger size bobbin is applied to the holder such as indicated at 2', the upper end of the bobbin is received by the portion 8 of the bobbin holder having a larger diameter than the portion I so as to t the bore of the larger size bobbin. The length of this portion of the body 8 is such as to permit the shoulder I I of the bobbin 2' to engage the projections of the spring 4, while the top of the bobbin 2 is suiciently spaced from the bearing race I 6 to permit the desired universal movement of the bobbin.

It will readily be appreciated that this arrangement of the bearing close against the bobbin of the creel board with the bobbin spaced from the bearing only sufficiently to permit the necessary universal movement of the bobbin, allows the minimum space between creel boards with the size of bobbin used. It is therefore possible, by the use of this installation, to use spinning frames having considerably less space between creel boards than the conventional installations, so that the height of the frames may be materially reduced to the great convenience of the operator.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the tubular bobbin holder body is dispensed with and the spring itself is used as the supporting means, additional centering means being provided for receiving the upper end of the bobbin.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, a U-shaped spring 21 having bowed arms 28 is rigidly attached as by means of a rivet 29 to a bearing cone 3|. The cone 3I cooperates with a series of bearing balls 32 mounted in a ball race in the form of a cup 33. The cup 33 is supported by a cover 34 fixed thereto as by means of an overlapping ange 35 of the cup and provided with a threaded opening 36 adapted to receive a bolt 31 mounted in an opening 38 in the creel board I.

'I'he spring 21 is so formed that the bowed arms 28 thereof would normally expand wider than the opening in the largest bobbin which it is intended to use in connection therewith. Adjustable conning means for the spring is provided in the form of a flared thimble 39 mounted on the upper portion of the spring and having a lip 4I at the lower edge thereof adapted to engage the arms of the spring and prevent their expansion when the bobbin is removed therefrom. The thimble also serves, as shown in Fig. 2, as a centering means for a bobbin 42 when the latter is thrust on the spring 21.

The arms of the spring 21 are preferably tapered as indicated at 43 in order to prevent the thimble 39 from sliding up the arms when the bobbin is removed, and notches 44 may be provided in said spring arms to facilitate the retention of the thimble in its locking position.

Means such as a light coil spring 45 may be provided for insuring that the thimble 39 follows the bobbin down the spring 21 when the bobbin is removed. As here shown, the spring 45 is retained by a flange 46 on the rivet 29, and bears on a cross-bar 41 formed in the bottom of the thimble 39.

This embodiment of the invention is installed in the same manner as that previously described, by simply inserting a bolt 31 through the creel board and screwing the cover 34 of the bearing onto the bolt until the holder is clamped tightly to the creel board. When a bobbin 42 is thrust on the spring 21, the top of the bobbin engages the tapered portion of the thimble 39 and carries it up until the bowed arms 28 of the spring engage within the counterbore 48 of the bobbin. The bobbin is thereupon retained by the clamping action of the spring 21 and is centered and aligned by the action of the thimble 39.

When the bobbin is drawn off the holder, the thimble 39 follows the bobbin down the spring 21 and retains the arms of the spring compressed to their minimum diameter as determined by the bore of the bobbin so that the new bobbin may readily be applied to the spring.

It will be seen that this embodiment of the invention is applicable to a wide variety of sizes of bobbin, determined only by the minimum and maximum eiective expansion of the spring 21. It will be noted that in this embodiment also, the only opening for lint or dust to enter the bearing is beneath the bearing and is of restricted .area so that the tendency of foreign particles to enter the bearing is minimized, and satisfactory operation thereof over long periods of use is insured.

Although but two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In an anti-friction bobbin holder wherein an expansive spring is adapted to enter and frictionally engage the bore of a bobbin, the combination with said spring of an inverted cone bearing member connected thereto, a bearing cup surrounding said cone with clearance for limited universal movement, bearing balls in said cup for supporting said cone, a cover fixed to said cup, a support, and means for attaching the cover to said support.

2. A bobbin holder having attaching means including an expansive spring adapted to frictionally engage the bore of a bobbin, a cylindrical member for limiting the free expansion of the spring to facilitate entry thereof within the bobbin, said member being provided with portions of diierent diameters to accommodate a plurality of sizes of bobbins, a support, and bearing means for rotatably mounting the member on the support.

3. In a bobbin holder having an expansive spring for gripping and holding a bobbin, the combination with said spring of means for rotatably mounting the latter including an inverted bearing cone operatively connected with said spring, said cone being formed with a spherical surface, .an annular bearing chamber surrounding the upper portion of said bearing cone and having a sealing cover, said chamber having a lip conforming closely to but slightly spaced from said spherical surface, anti-friction bearing elements in the chamber supporting the cone, a stationary support, and means for securing said cover to said support.

4. In a bobbin holder for spinning frames or the like, an annular bearing chamber having a sealed cover, means for rigidly attaching said cover to the underside of a creel board, .a bearing cone having a spherical surface within said chamber and having a cylindrical neck portion extending downwardly therefrom, said chamber having a lip adapted to conform closely to but slightly spaced from said spherical surface, antifriction bearing elements in the chamber supporting said cone, and supporting and centering means including a cylindrical body connected to said neck portion and comprising portions of stepped diameters for receiving bobbins of various sizes, and an expansive spring within the body and having bowed portions extending laterally therefrom to engage the bore of a bobbin, the bearing cone, neck and body being formed to provide a continuous passage for the free egress from the bearing of any lint or dirt which may find its Way therein.

JOHN V. MANN. 

